Ward rounds

I've just started semester two (Nutrition, Metabolism, Excretion) of proper medicine.

On day one we met our new consultant. His opening speech included the words 'I believe in learning by humiliation' and 'you, make a dunce's cap for next week's session'. He terrified me. I came into medicine believing this kind of consultant had died out. There have been endless studies proving that it's not of benefit to us to be ridiculed infront of the team on answering a question wrongly. It was horrifying to see this system in practice.

After spending the day with the man, I came home and cried. It's only a four week placement but I could not see me being able to stand it.

On Tuesday and Thursday I went to the GP surgery. I can't express how much of a nicer environment for learning it was. I love GP placements, the way the doctor knows everything about their patient, medically and socially. I love being able to ask any question I like and not be thought of as stupid.

Wednesday was spent in a hospice finding out about the day to day activities there. I loved that too. I considered giving up medicine in favour of nursing again. The job just seems much nicer.

Then Friday came, and it was back to the hospital for case discussions and a ward round. Urgh. I hate ward rounds. I can't help but notice how uncomfortable it must be for the patients to see a group of doctors and student doctors stood at the bottom of your bed talking in abbreviations and quizzing the younger members on the mechanisms of certain conditions. Then they turn and say 'Hi Mrs Jones, no news on the scan today but we'll see you again tomorrow'. If I'm ever an inpatient the doctors will have a nightmare, I'll be listening to every word and questioning every test. It constantly amazes me how when I ask someone what medication they're on they say 'Oh I dunno love, I just swallow whatever the nurses give me'. People have so much trust in the system.

But there was a plus point. Monday's consultant came to tell us he'd come to the wrong room before- our consultant is someone much much nicer. He has found himself another group to torment.

Is it really any wonder that I want to be a GP? Medics seem to see general practice as a step down from 'real medicine'. I guess I started off with no hospital experience, so to me a GP has always been how I've visualised a doctor.

I just can't see myself doing ward rounds forever.